Sterilizing apparatus



Feb. 7, '1 933. J. c. Ross sTERILIzINe APPARATUS Original File d Nov. 17, misc mea 6. 053:

Patented Feb. 7, 1933 JAMES 0. R088, 01' LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA STEBILIZING APPARATUS Application filed November 17, 1980, Scrial No. 496,861. Renewed June 20, 19893.

This invention relates to sterilizing apparatus intended, particularly, for sterihz mg liquids, for example, milk, water, wine,

orange juice, or other liquids, through the Such apparatus agency of ultra violet rays.

usually includes a quartz generator tube, the wall of which will pass violet and ultra violet rays. Howe'ver, if such a generator tube is immersed in a liquid to be sterilized, it

will contaminate the liquid with ozone, nitrous oxide, or other objectionable gases.

The general object of this invention is to produce a simple apparatus in which a large quantity of liquid to be sterilized can be eifectively subjected to the action of said rays or energy, and without bringing the liquid directly into contact with the wall of the generator tube.

Heretofore, such generator tubes have been placed within quartz shells or tubes to prevent the formation of gases, as suggested above, and my invention constitutes an improvement in the construction of apparatus for this purpose, enabling a relatively large area of generator tube to be readily employed and of a form which enables a tube to be employed of different lengths to regulate the capacity of the apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to produce a sterilizing apparatus of this type which will insure the subjection of all portions of the liquid to the sterilizing rays.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combinations of parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to protubes so that the block may be set on top of duce an eflicient sterilizing apparatus.

A preferred embodiment of the invention 0 is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus 5 embodying m invention, with one end of the body'of the evice broken away and shown partially in section.

v Figure 2 is a plan and partial section taken about at the location of the line 22, of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the parts, the apparatus includes a casing composed of a body 1 of box form, and preferably of elongated form as shown, so as to present a sterilizing chamber 2, having an upper horizontal wall 3, said wall being rovided with a plurality of openings 4 pre erably disposed equidistant from each. other. Through each opening 4 a quartz tubing 5 projects downwardly, each tube being provided with a flange 6 at its up er end that may be su ported on aglan '7 cooperating With t e stufling box carrying packing 8 to insure'a water-tight connection at the points where the tubes pass down through the head or cover wall 3.

The apparatus includes, also, a coverr9 that p is in the form of a rectangular block, preferably of an insulating composition, of the character of bakelite. This cover has mold- 79 ed into it a continuous quartz tube 10 which is a generator tube capable of generating sterilizing rays, such as violet rays, or ultra violet rays. For this purpose, I may employ any type of tube capable of generating ultra violet rays. This tube 10, preferably, ,has both ends 11 located at the same end of the block or cover and these ends carry the termi- -nals 12 for the current that energizes the active gases or vapors within the tube.

The terminals 12 are provided with leading-in wires 13 which enable the terminals to be connected to an electric circuit.

The tube at the underside of the block is formed with a pluralit of extensions 14 preferably of U-form, whlch are dis osed apart to correspond with the centers 0 the quartz the bod with the U-shape extension projectin own in the quartztubes. (See Fig. 1.) he U-shaped extensions are connected by return bends 15 in the pipe that are molded into the block. The tube includes a straight extension 16 passing alongthe block above the return bends. The body 1 is provided with means for circulating a liquid through the sterilizing chamber. For this purpose, I provide an inlet 17 at one end of the body, near the bottom, m and an outlet 18 at the other end of the body,

at an elevation which will determine the overflow or level 19 of the liquid that is being sterilized.

As the sterilizing liquid flows in throu h 5 the inlet 17, it will pass, as indicatedby' t e same with means or producin arrows in Figure 2, along the sides of the quartz tube 5 and also pass through the space between the same. In this way the liquid in passingthrough the sterilizer will be subected again and again to the action of the sterilizing agent as it passes the U-form extensions.

What I claim is:

1. In a sterilizing apparatus, the combination of a body with a sterilizing chamber having an upper wall, and having a plurality of openings therein, a plurality of quartz tubes mounted in said openings and extending down into the interior of the said body, a cover seating on said body an Having a.continuous lightenerating tube set in the sterilizing rays emanating from the tube, said tube having extensions projecting downwardly from the cover and received respectively in the said quartz tubes, and means for passin the liquid to be sterilized through the said ody and past the said quartz tubes.

2. In a sterilizing apparatus, the combination of an elongated body with asterilizing chamber within the same, said body having a sterilizing chamber with an upper wall having a plurality of openinglsntherein, a lurality of quartz tubes exten g into sai openings fromabove and projecting down into the sterilizing chamber, a cover seating on said body and having a continuous light generating tube set in the same with means for producing sterilizing rays emanating from the tube, said tube having U-form extensions rojecting downwardly from the cover an received respectively in the said quartz tubes, and means for passing the liquid to be ster- 4. In a sterilizing apparatus, the combination of an elongated body with a sterilizing chamber within the same, said body hav-' ing a sterilizing chamber with an upper wall having a plurality of o enings therein, a plurality of quartz tubes extending into said openings from above and projecting down into the sterilizing chamber, a cover seating on said body and consisting of a moulded composition, and having a continu- -ous generating tube set in the same with means associated with the tube for producin sterilizing rays emanating from the tube, sai

tube having U- form extensions projecting downwardly from the cover and received respectively in the said quartz tubes, and means for passing the li uid to be sterilized longitudinally through t e said sterilizin chamber and past the said quartz tubes, sai continuous tube having both ends projecting from the cover adjacent to each other at the same end of the cover.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 12th day of November, 1930.

JAMES C. ROSS.

ilized longitudinally through the said sterg-chamber and past the said quartz tubes.

' 3. In a sterilizing apparatus, the combina- 7 tion of an elongated body with a sterilizing chambenwithin the same, said body having a sterilizing chamber with an upper wall having a plurality of openings therein, a lurality of quartz tubes extending into sai openings from above and projecting down into the quartz tubes, and means for passing the liqsterilizing chamber, a cover seating on said,

body and consisting of a molded composition, and having a, continuous generating tube set in the same with means associated with the tube for producing sterilizing rays. emanating from the tube, said tube having U-form extensions projecting downwardly from the cover and received respectively 1n the said uid to be sterilized longitudinally through the said sterilizing chamber and past the said quartz tubesc 

